Electrical connecter device



April 29, 1924, 1,492,348

R. B. BENJAMIN ET AL ELECTRICAL CONNECTER DEVICE j Filed June` 12 1918 gay/@72216D1751 Patented Apr. 22, 1924.

STATES rar REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, O'F CHICAGO, AND WALTER A. ALBEN, 0F CAMP GRANT, ROCK- FORD, TLLINOIS, ASSIGNOBS T BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MANUFACTURTNG COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLTNOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS. I

ELECTRICAL CONNECTER DEVICE.

application mea. rune 1e, 191s. serial No. 239,513.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, REUBEN B. BENJA- MIN and WALTER A. ALBEN, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively at Chie cago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, and Camp Grant, Rockford, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Electrical Connecter Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

Our mvention relates to electrical connecter devices.

One of the objects of our invention is to provide an improved'receptacle having a rotatable screw contact device in which the screwing in of the co-operating connecter de- Vice will rotate the rotatable contact -to connect the receptacle contacts with the supplyc'ircuit. A further object of our invention is to provide a safety receptacle which will be simple in construction, efficient in operation, and durable in use. Further objects will appear from the detailed description to follow and from the appended claims.

In order to give a general idea of the invention, it is here stated that the embodiment shown comprises an Edison receptacle,

the shell contact of which is oscillated about its own axis, this oscillation being effected by the screwing in and out of the lamp-base or plug. This oscillation of the screw contact operates a double-pole snap-switch,

which switch controls the connection between the feed-wires and the two contacts of the receptacle. The'screw shell contact of the receptacle is provided with lamp-grip means, which oscillate with the screw shell contact and which gril the lamp-base or plug and insure the osci ation of the screw shell contact when the lamp-base or plug is screwed out of the receptacle.

ln the embodiment shown, the receptacle is of the duplex type, having a receptacle portion et the Edison type and also having a receptacle portion of the quick-detachable type.

lln the drawings- Figure 1 is a plan view of a duplex receptacle embodying our invention; f

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the receptacle with the upper portion of the base removed;

Fig'. 3 is a bottom view of the receptacle;

Fig. 4 1s a section on the line 4 4: of F1g.. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of F1g..2;

Flg. 6 is a section on the line 6--6 of Fi 2 i Fig. 7 is a view showing a detail of the switch mechanism;

Fi. 11 eferring now to the drawings in detail,

the receptacle sho-wn comprises a two-part insulating base, the lower portion 20- of which carries the contacts, binding-termi-v nals, and switch mech-anism, and the upper part 21 of which serves as a cover or housing for the parts supported by the lower part 20; an oscillatively-mounted shell contact 22 swiveled on the lower base 20, a center contact 23 the connections for which form the pivot for the oscillating shell contact, a double-pole snap-switch mechanism 24 operated by the oscillation of the shell Contact 22, binding-terminals 25 and 26 for the center and shell contacts, respectively, and a receptacle portion 27 for the reception of the blades of a quick-detachable connecter device.

The binding-terminal 25 is electrically lconnected with' a spring switch contact or brush 28, which is connected with the center contact when the switch is in on position; and the binding-terminal 26 is electrically connected with a spring switch contact or brush 29, which is electrically connected with the shell cont-act when the switch is in on position.

The center contact 23 (Fig. 5) comprises a metal disk riveted to the upper end of a post 291, which post forms the pivot for the oscillative shell contact 22, and is securely fastened to the lower base portion 2O by means of a nut 30 threaded onto the lower end of the post. This post 291 is formed of conducting material, and 'a contact or brush 31 is electrically connected l therewith and extends outwardly to a position opposite the brush 28, so that when the switch is in on position it completes the circuit from the brush 28 to the brush 31 and thence to the center contact 23 through ithe ost 291.

e post 291 extends through an opening i in the spring contact 31 and is provided with an enlarged portion 32, which forms a bearing or p1vot for an oscillating switch mem-A vdisks 33, 34 of fiber or other suitable material,these disks being pierced to receive the post 291, the flange 321 itself being provided with an opening considerably larger than the ivot-post, so that it is insulated from the atter.

The disks 33, 34 may be secured to the flange in any suitable manner, as by eyelets 35 extending through registering openings in the disk' and flange.

The threaded shell contact 22 is provided 4 with a lamp-base gripping device which is carried b the threaded shell and the insulating dis 34. This lamp-base gripping device 1s in the form of a wire spring having a U-sha ed portion 36 which-embraces the threade contact and extends into slots 37 located on opposite sides of the threaded shell contact, into englagement with the threaded lamp-base. T e ends 371 of the spring lamp-grip are bent to extend alongside of the threaded shell contact and are inserted in openings in the disk,` 34 to assist in holding the spring in place.

The en agement o the U-shaed portion 36 with t e slots in the threade shell, and the engagement of the portions 371 with the disk 34 securely hold the lamp-grip device in place.

Before describing the manner in which the threaded vshell contact is brought into the circuit when the switch mechanism` is in on position, it will be necessary tov describe the construction of the switch mechaconducting portion 44 lying along the upper face -of the oscillative member 38 and movable into position to engage the s ring contact 29 when the switch is in on position. Thus, when the switch is in on position, the shell contact 22 is electrically connected with the sprin contact 29 through the member 44, the lin 39, and the crank-pin 43.

The member 44 may be a sheet-metal stamping having a U-shaped portion (Fig. 12) embracing the member 38 and having portions 45 indented into corresponding depressions in the member 38.

The link 39 and spring 41 operate in a triangular o ening 1n the.v member 38, a portion 46 o the member 44 beingvbent to extend into this'triangular opening and having an o ening in which the end of the link 39 is sli ably mounted.

' In addition to carrying the contact 44 which engages the spring contact 29, the insulating member 38 also carries a contact and conducting member 47, which embraces the member 38 and'bridges the gap between the contacts 28 and 31 when the switch is in on position.

The oscillating movement of the threaded shell contact 22 may be limited by means of stop shoulders 48 and 49 (Fig. 2), which are positioned to engage portions of the straight edge 50 of the lnsulating disk 34 when the latter is operated in onev direction Aor the other. n The relative oscillating movement between the threaded shell contact-22 and the insulating member 38 may be limited by the engagement of thel crank-pin 43 with the edges of the triangular opening in which the link 39 operates (Fig. 11).

'Ihe binding-terminals 25 and 26 are electrically connected to the spring contacts 28 and 29, respectively, by means of screws 51, 52, which also serve to hold the bindingterminals 25 and 26 in position on the upper base 21, and also serve to hold the upper base 21 in position on the lower base 20.

The spring contacts 28 and 29 are` held in lace on the lower base 20 by means of eyeets 53, through which the screws 51 and 52 extend.

Conducting strips 54 extend from the eyelets 53 over to the contacts 55 of the quickdetachable receptacle portion 27.

The use and operation of our improved device is as follows: The device is wired by connecting the two feed-wires to the binding-terminals 25 and 26, respectively. The

binding-terminal 25 is electrically' connected with the s ring'contact 28 through the screw 51, an the binding-terminal 26 is electrically connected with the spring contact 29 through the screw 52. The contacts 28 and 29 thus are live parts when the device is wired.

-Assuming that the switch is in off position and there is no lamp or plug in the reineagaae ceptacle and it is desired-to place a lamp in the socket, the lamp is brought into position and screwed into the receptacle in the usual manner. As the lamp-base is screwed in, its frictional engagement with the shell receptacle 22 and the lamp-grip 36, causes the shell 22 to oscillate on the post 291.

At a certain point in the oscillation of the shell contact 22, the switch snaps to on position. This certain point in the oscillation is after the pivot-pin or crank-pin 43 has passed the dead center between the post 291 and the sliding connection between the link 39 and the portion 46 of the member 40. After this dead center is passed, the tension in the spring 41 tends to sna the shell contact 22 in one direction an the oscillative insulating member 38 in the other direction. This snap action of the oscillative member 38 snaps the contact member 47 into position between the spring contacts 28 and 31 to bring the center contact 23 into the circuit, and snaps the contact member into engagement with the contact 29 to brin the shell contact into the circuit.

Wen the lamp is unscrewed from the socket the reverse operation of the switch mechanism takes lace. The frictional engagement of the lamp-base with the screw shell contact 22 and the lamp-grip 36 causes the screw shell to oscillate and causes a snap action of the switch mechanism to off position. This snap action takes place after the pivot-pin 43 passes the dead center osition. The screwing out of the lampase thus leaves the switch in off position and leaves both contacts of the receptacle dead. We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. An electrical receptacle comprising a center contact, a pivotally-mounted shell contact, a gripping device for the inserted device carried by said shell contact, a movable switch-arm, a switch spring means whereby one of its ends is moved back and forth by the movement of the shell contact and means whereb the movement of said spring throws .sai switch arm back and forth to make and break the circuit through the inserted device.

2. An electrical receptacle comprising a center contact, a. shell contact arranged to receive a translating device and mounted to have limited turning movement in opposite directions, switch mechanism for opening and closing the circuit, said mechanism including a spring arranged to operate said switch mechanism with a snap action, and means connecting said shell contact with said spring, whereby said switch mechanism acts to open or close the circuit as said shell contact is turned in one direction or the other.

3. An electrical receptacle comprisin a center contact, a ivotally-mounted s ell contact, and a switc operated by said shell contact for controlling the circuit through both of said contacts.

4. An electrical receptacle comprising a center contact, a shell contact, and a doublepole switch operated by said shell contact for controlling the circuit through said center contact and the circuit through said shell contact.

5. An electrical receptacle comprising a pivoted contact, a switch-arm pivoted about the same axis as said contact, and means whereby oscillation of said contact in one direction causes oscillation of said switcharm inthe opposite direction.

6. An electrical receptacle comprising a center contact, a pivotally-mounted shell contact, a switch-arm, and a link having a pivotal connection with said shell contact and a sliding connection with said switcharm.

7. An electrical receptacle comprising a center contact, a shell contact, a pivotallymounted insulating disk carrying to said shell contact, and a lamp-grip member comprising a U-shaped portion embracing said threaded shell contact and having a portion alon ide said threaded shell contact and se cure to said insulating disk.

8. An electrical receptacle comprising a shell contact mounted to oscillate in opposite directions about its longitudinal axis, a switch comprising a movable blade, contacts arranged to be bridged by said blade, and spring means connecting said blade and said contact shell for moving said blade into and out of contact with said switch contacts when said shell is oscillated.

9,. An.' electrical receptacle comprising a shell to receive a translating device, said shell being mounted to oscillate in opposite directions about its longitudinal axis, a switch mechanism arranged for controlling the circuit through the contacts of said receptacle, and means operatively connecting said shell with said switch mechanism, whereby movement of the shell in one direction will open the circuit and movement of the same 1n the opposite direction will close the circuit.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN. W. A. ALDEN.

llO 

